Royal Ascot will finish with a flourish - can Ryan Moore keep winning week going?

It's an eight-race card as Royal Ascot serves up a super Saturday to end a fine week of racing. And Sussex jockey will be aiming to end the festival on another high after his win on Santiago in the Queen's Vase.
Ryan Moore admires The Queen's Vase after his win on Santiago / Picture: GettyRyan Moore admires The Queen's Vase after his win on Santiago / Picture: Getty
Ryan Moore admires The Queen's Vase after his win on Santiago / Picture: Getty

Here is Moore's verdict on all his Saturday rides...

12:40 Magical Wish

They got a run into him in March and he won that day. Maybe the gelding operation he had before that win helped, and he has gone up only 3lb for it. That victory came over 7f and that is arguably his best trip but he has big field form over 6f on good to soft, so I don’t think the trip will be an issue at all. The draw in one might be, though.

1:15 More Beautiful

Everyone saw how impressive she was on her debut at Naas last week. She has the pedigree – being by War Front out of a Moyglare winner, and a half-sister to Saxon Warrior as a result – and she has inherited plenty of their talent judged on that debut win. I wouldn’t swap her, for all she would probably have preferred that the rain stayed away. Her dam won a Chesham here on soft, though.

1:50 Admiral Nelson

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Who knows what is lurking in here but I don’t think we could have asked for more from this Kingman colt on his debut. He travelled powerfully into his race pretty easily, and won decisively from a stablemate who was sent off favourite. He looked very smart, but obviously this is a big step up, as it is for all of these, and the ground will be a lot different here. However, I wouldn’t swap him, either.

2:25 So Wonderful

Our two fillies have something to find at this level. There may only be seven runners this year but it looks a pretty hot renewal to me, with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Sharing adding an extra element from the States. But Love Locket is going very much the right away judged on her fast-ground Leopardstown success last week – and she has form in testing ground, too – and So Wonderful was a consistent and classy juvenile who comes here from her excellent Irish 1,000 Guineas third. Both have chances, but this race could take a bit of winning.

3pm Wichita

Again, this race is short of numbers but it certainly doesn’t lack class. Wichita has the best recent form on his excellent Guineas second, but I would expect last year’s leading juvenile, Pinatubo, to improve for his third there. But I have to be confident of a bold show – though, again, he could have done without the recent rain - and Arizona is clearly a lot better than he showed at Newmarket. Palace Pier looked ready for a step up in grade when winning so well at Newcastle, and Threat was a high-class 2yo, too. The ground makes this a tougher one to call now.

3:35 Dream Of Dreams

He has been going well, and he has a big chance on his best form. That came in this race last season when a head second to Blue Point. His form tailed off afterwards but he has been gelded since and, like I said, he has been showing up well at home. Sceptical is the buzz horse but I think we can give him a race if we are at our best. My horse can handle any ground.

4:10 Gulliver

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He had no chance from off the pace at Newmarket earlier in the month, so we can forgive him that run, not that he ran too badly. And he was dropped 2lb for it, too. He has run well on his sole start here, and is 7lb lower on turf than on the all-weather, and good and soft ground come alike to him. He certainly has his chance.

4:40 Imphal

We haven’t seen him since I finished third on him at Sandown last summer. That came off a mark off 84, so he clearly has to improve a good deal to even get competitive here. But he has certainly shaped as though an extreme test could suit him, so let us see. Mekong is the obvious favourite, if he turns out again after his fifth in the Gold Cup, and form horse, but Who Dares Wins and The Grand Visir are not far behind him.

Related topics: